Engineering in Business

This module gives engineers an understanding of their roles in the world of business. It shows how they can improve competitiveness, through increased sales - by enhancing product design, and through reduced cost - by optimising production, increasing efficiency and reducing waste. Engineering students learn about productivity, capacity and cost-benefit analysis, and the importance of the consideration of business goals and money in an engineer's role. The module also introduces students to the importance of high ethical standards for engineers working in business. Students learn about project management and how to apply it.

1. Describe the stages in the New Product Design process, review the importance of customer input, specifications, constraints and manufacturability in new product design, and develop assembly instructions and a basic Bill of Materials for a product.

2. Describe the basic principles of Project Management and use a simple Gantt chart to plan and control a project.

3. Identify appropriate ethical behaviour for engineers, in relation to their impact on human society and sustainability, within the context of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and in conformance to international standards and regulations.

4. Perform analysis and calculations, relating to business data, in areas including Capacity, Productivity, Quality, Material Requirements Planning and Cost-Benefit Analysis.

5. Describe the role of the engineer in an operation, e.g. Manufacturing Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Energy Engineer, Biomedical Engineer, Agricultural Engineer.